What makes certain leaders excel at solving seemingly impossible problems? How do they consistently find innovative solutions while others get stuck?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roger L. Martin’s The Opposable Mind<\/em> reveals that successful leaders share a unique approach to problem-solving called integrative thinking<\/a>. This mindset allows them to take opposing ideas and create breakthrough solutions by combining the best elements of each perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep reading to discover how you can develop this powerful skill and transform your approach to decision-making<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n What is it about the most successful leaders that lets them solve problems that other people find intractable? Do they possess some innate quality that helps them chart a course through the chaos of business and politics where others have a hard time making headway? In The Opposable Mind<\/em><\/a>, published in 2009, Roger L. Martin says the key to their success is integrative thinking<\/em>\u2014the ability to consider two opposing ideas and create a solution from the best parts of both.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most business experts focus on leaders\u2019 ability to strategically execute their plans, but Martin argues that understanding leaders\u2019 thought processes is more valuable than simply copying what they do. Martin points out that actions that work in one context may fail in another, which is why it\u2019s more important to understand the underlying thought process that led to those decisions in the first place. To do that, Martin interviewed successful leaders from multiple fields, and he found that while they came from diverse backgrounds, they shared a similar approach to problem-solving\u2014one that can be taught to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Martin is a business researcher and strategist who served as the Dean of the University of Toronto\u2019s Rotman School of Management from 1998 to 2013. Martin’s experience in business consulting has informed his work on strategy and leadership. His other books include When More Is Not Better<\/em><\/a>, Playing to Win<\/em><\/a> (coauthored with A.G. Lafley), and Creating Great Choices<\/em><\/a> (co-authored with Jennifer Riel). In 2015, he won the Social Enterprise Award with Sally Osberg<\/a> for their work on social entrepreneurship, and Thinkers50 recognizes him<\/a> as one of the world\u2019s most influential management experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this overview, we\u2019ll examine how Martin says successful leaders think\u2014the beliefs they hold, the way they come up with ideas, and their ability to toggle between creative thinking and instinctive knowledge drawn from experience. We\u2019ll then explain how to apply these skills to decision-making\u2014such as by rejecting \u201ceither\/or\u201d dualities and by recognizing that your mental models<\/a> aren\u2019t perfect and that simplicity isn\u2019t always ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Prior to Martin\u2019s work on the subject, Graham Douglas coined the concept of integrative thinking<\/a> in 1986. There is overlap in Martin\u2019s and Douglas\u2019s definitions\u2014for example, both advocate considering alternative viewpoints. However,\u00a0 Douglas also focused on the integration of the conscious and the unconscious mind<\/a>, integrating the mind and the body as a means toward imaginative problem-solving, and integrating ideas from different fields of knowledge and experience to foster innovation.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aspiring leaders in today\u2019s business world have to mentally navigate the intricacies of technology, politics, and organizational management. Martin reiterates that you can master the skills that the most effective leaders use if you\u2019re willing to examine and adjust your thinking process. <\/strong>To teach integrative thinking (or mental integration), Martin introduces the three key components of effective leaders\u2019 thought processes\u2014a useful set of beliefs about the world (which Martin calls your \u201cstance\u201d), a set of mental methods for generating new ideas, and the ability to apply past experience (\u201cknowledge\u201d) in new ways to solve unfamiliar problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Martin explains that the cognitive components of integrative thinking interact and shape each other. For instance, your beliefs determine how you engage in problem-solving, the results of which will add to your knowledge.<\/strong> However, the process also works in reverse\u2014your prior knowledge guides your problem-solving strategies<\/a>, which in turn refine (and often reinforce) your beliefs about yourself and the world. Martin says this can either be a good or bad thing. If your beliefs are unhelpful, they\u2019ll lead to poor problem-solving and negative experiences that fuel more poor decisions, reaffirming your toxic beliefs. A useful outlook on the world, however, can trigger a positive reward cycle of experience, so that\u2019s where we\u2019ll begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When working through a problem that calls for an imaginative solution, your mind creates a simulation <\/em>of the problem to work with\u2014one that\u2019s shaped by your past experience and unconscious biases. To cut through the static of your own assumptions and be truly creative, Martin argues that you have to see your mental simulation for what it is, actively look for different ways to see the problem, and consciously work through your thinking process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We often confuse our subjective perceptions with objective reality. Martin says the first useful belief you should accept is that your personal perspective is inaccurate.<\/strong> The uncomfortable truth<\/a> is that no two people\u2019s views of a problem are exactly the same, and neither is 100% correct. This has been proven time and again when witnesses offer conflicting versions of the exact same events. Martin suggests that nevertheless, most people are content with their own perspective and will even defend it tooth-and-nail. If you can accept that your mental simulation of a problem is distorted, though, then you also have to accept that a superior perspective must exist if you only try to find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next useful belief Martin argues in favor of is that opposing perspectives should be seen as opportunities for learning rather than conflict.<\/strong> Differences between mental models\u2014such as yours and someone else\u2019s\u2014are natural and shouldn\u2019t be seen as threats. Instead, consider seeing different, opposing perspectives on a problem as fuel for creativity, not necessarily as a problem to be solved. That doesn\u2019t mean that all perspectives are equal, but they all provide potentially valuable insights into the problems you\u2019re working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last useful belief that Martin espouses is that you can \u201chack\u201d your thinking process and originate better perspectives.<\/strong> One way Martin suggests you can do this is to work backward from results. Start by identifying an outcome you want, determine what actions might lead to that outcome, then examine what thinking process might have led to those actions. This technique can give you valuable insights into how you make decisions and what sort of factors you might normally miss. Martin says this approach is particularly useful in complex situations where the consequences of your choices aren’t immediately apparent, such as when planning your next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After establishing the useful beliefs you should adopt regarding your thought processes, Martin offers several imaginative reasoning<\/em> methods that successful business<\/a> leaders employ. These include forward-thinking logic, understanding the complexities of cause and effect, and investigative questions to fully explore concepts and perspectives that differ from your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forward-thinking logic requires that you use reason to explore possibilities <\/em>instead of certainties.<\/strong> Martin explains that, as opposed to more traditional reasoning methods that use pre-existing models and data to form conclusions, this technique uses logic to create new conjectures in response to information or circumstances that don’t fit existing business theories. For example, imagine that your business is about to introduce a new product that doesn\u2019t resemble anything else in the market. You can\u2019t do effective customer research<\/a> for a product that doesn\u2019t exist yet, but forward-thinking logic can help you explore different possible market segments your product might serve and how to best approach them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next thing Martin says successful leaders do is imagine cause and effect in their full complexity.<\/strong> Most of us think of cause and effect as a linear progression from action to result, but reality is far more complicated. For instance, the success of a product might depend on a wide range of factors, such as the price point, marketing, and time of release. Plus, successful and unsuccessful ventures often fall into feedback cycles<\/a> where effects trigger causes that further amplify effects\u2014such as when bad word-of-mouth negatively impacts customers\u2019 perceptions of a product, which leads to even worse online reviews, and so on. Martin writes that effective leaders know that causality isn\u2019t a simple, straight line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rounding out his discussion of imaginative reason, Martin argues that you should respond to opposing views<\/a> with questions instead of arguments.<\/strong> This is the practical application of Martin\u2019s \u201cuseful belief\u201d that you can learn from other people\u2019s differing perspectives. If you take the time to question others about their views and the reasons behind them, you\u2019ll expand your perspective and perhaps discover a few of your own false assumptions. Even if you\u2019re certain that someone else\u2019s views are wrong, understanding why they differ from yours can lead to insights you can further explore. Having as many perspectives on the issue as possible can help you find more creative solutions to business problems<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, in explaining how innovative leaders think, Martin addresses the perceived dichotomy between experience and original thinking, writing that the most successful business leaders can toggle between their depth of experience and original thinking at will.<\/strong> While many people acknowledge the value of experience, they might also believe that those with years of work under their belts are stuck in their ways and incapable of fresh ideas. Martin insists that this isn\u2019t the case: Meaningful experience and truly original thinking depend on and grow from each other. Experience without flexibility becomes stagnant and limiting, while original ideas<\/a> with no basis in experience are unreliable and only randomly successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the leaders whom Martin interviewed for his research, he found that experience acts as a springboard for innovative ideas.<\/strong> You gain experience through years of learning by repeated trial and error, which deepens your expertise in your field. This leads to innovation if you use your formative years to experiment, be spontaneous, and take risks. Instead of locking you into habitual behavior, this kind of experience will strengthen your capacity for original thinking and action<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we\u2019ve elucidated the patterns of thinking that innovative leaders use, the question is how to put those skills into practice. Martin divides decision-making into three components\u2014determining what information is important, exploring the ways that different factors relate to each other, and then merging the best aspects of different possible solutions. All the while, integrative thinkers acknowledge their perspectives\u2019 limitations and the complexity of the problems they face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When faced with complex problems<\/a>, necessity requires that we ignore most of the data and focus on whichever elements seem most pertinent. This selective attention<\/a> shapes how we frame situations, but Martin says you must still gather data from multiple points of view. <\/strong>Different people arrive at different conclusions based on their particular sets of mental filters<\/a>. These filters don\u2019t just guide your judgments, but also what information you choose to ignore. For instance, sports fans often disagree on penalty calls because they disregard information that doesn\u2019t support their preferred outcome. Therefore, when making important decisions<\/a>, you have to recognize your bias and actively look for ways to negate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can see beyond your flawed perspective, Martin writes that you can hold multiple points of view at once and explore the gap between opposing ideas,<\/strong> leading to more innovative solutions. This may be harder than it sounds because your brain automatically defaults to the assumption that your <\/em>interpretation of reality is correct, limiting your ability to consider alternate perspectives. The trick is to know the difference between reality and your mind\u2019s filtered perception. Martin argues that the most successful leaders do this\u2014they can, in effect, \u201cstep outside\u201d of a problem and evaluate it from every angle at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next thing Martin says that creative leaders<\/a> do is embrace the inherent complexity of situations,<\/strong> resisting the urge to simplify problems to make them \u201ceasier to handle.\u201d Simplifying issues leads to rote, half-baked solutions that aren\u2019t likely to produce significant breakthroughs. Innovative thinkers, on the other hand, consider the wide range of cause and effect when they generate new ideas<\/a>. For example, a restaurateur expanding their business to a new city may look beyond the common factors of location, marketing, and pricing to explore the region\u2019s food culture, how people react to new businesses moving in, any seasonal habits that might affect people\u2019s dining, and how shifting demographics might be changing the new city\u2019s character.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOverview of The Opposable Mind\u00a0<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Think<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Useful Beliefs<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Imaginative Reason<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Originality Versus Experience<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How to Make Decisions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Gather Important Information From All Sides<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Look at the Whole, Not Just the Pieces<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n